With entrepreneurs predicting India could surpass the US in AI adoption within a decade, and as the country seeks USD$200 billion in AI investments, Mark Lee, deputy pro vice-chancellor (India) and professor of artificial intelligence at the University of Birmingham, highlighted India’s “excellent position” in the field.
“I’m not sure any country is truly ready for what’s on the horizon with AI. But India is in an excellent position, notably because of its students,” Lee told the audience at the AI to IPOs: How big can the Indian edtech sector be? session at PIE Live India.
“Indian students are ambitious, curious, and aspirational. We teach many Indian students, including through our partnership with IIT Madras in data science and AI, and they are hungry to learn the latest technologies and become employable with AI.”
The jobs of the future will not be based on knowledge alone – they will be based on skills
Ravneet Pawha, Deakin University
India’s rise as an AI hub is evident in its hosting of the Global South’s first AI Impact Summit, but panellists said universities have a role in ensuring the technology meaningfully enhances pedagogy.
“If 70% of jobs become robotic, then 30% of people will need to be highly skilled. The jobs of the future will not be based on knowledge alone — they will be based on skills. Skills have to be upgraded to make a difference,” stated Ravneet Pawha, vice-president (Global Engagement) and CEO (South Asia) at Deakin University.
The Australian university, the first from the country to open a branch campus in India, is set to launch new bachelor’s and master’s courses in artificial intelligence for its 2026 intake, which Pawha said will move away from being “theoretical degrees” and focus on industrial change.
“Our professors in AI, around the world, have to think about how you make use of AI in ways that actually make a difference and impact the world, and ensure students today are skilled and able to handle that change,” stated Pawha.
“It’s really important to think about AI embedded across programs, the ethics of AI, and applied problem-solving assessments aligned with AI techniques that are going to be unique and growing.”
Meanwhile, India’s edtech sector has seen funding fall 56% year-on-year in 2025, with major players like Byju’s and Unacademy facing losses and scaling back operations. Yet the industry is still projected to grow to over USD$61 billion by 2035, with many platforms eyeing IPOs as they overhaul their business models.
While reports suggest edtech unicorn UpGrad is planning a USD$350-$400 million IPO in 2027, Praneet Singh, associate VP for Product and Strategy at its Study Abroad division, said the organisation is currently prioritising long-term value creation and predictability in outcomes over the IPO.
In line with these ambitions, Singh highlighted how AI, in its “printing press moment” in India, is being used to make learning faster, more accessible, and valuable for learners, directly linking it to skill development.
“One initiative has been our doctorate in AI, which is not a traditional PhD or DPA, but a proof of concept for professionals at mid- or top-level management to work over two to three years on a breakthrough solution that can transform business models,” said Singh.
“About 1,000 students have completed this program. We then expanded to around 100 cities in India, setting up small centres for micro-learning and one-year intensive AI skill development.”
With AI projected to displace around 90 million jobs globally by 2030, and up to 40% of employers expecting reductions in certain areas, universities will need to enhance technology systems and AI-enabled tools to help faculty effectively teach and prepare students for the evolving job landscape.
According to Venkat Yellapragada, CEO of CampX, a SaaS-based platform for Indian higher education, Indian universities are not slow in adopting technology, including AI, in their daily operations. However, for AI to be truly effective in teaching, faculty need tools with specific features and capabilities – a challenge that remains to be fully addressed.
“Providing the relevant context to AI agents at the right time is missing in current institutions. That’s why adoption seems slow. But institutions are not slow; having a strong digital backbone can expedite the process, and we’re already seeing pilots move into operational deployments,” stated Yellapragada.
But as Indian universities increasingly engage with AI, relying on the country’s own systems will be crucial, according to Lee.
“The other part of the equation is sovereign AI. All countries outside of China, I’m afraid, are too beholden to big tech. There is a conversation to be had about sovereign AI, both in the UK and India,” stated Lee.
From a business perspective, having the right platform is key to scaling and delivering accurate information to students, delegates heard.
“With the support of our platform, you can provide information to students at scale in ways that aren’t possible manually. This is very innovative for learners, especially since students no longer rely on coming to an office for counseling – they prefer to do their own research,” stated Gaurav Batra, founder and CEO, Infinite Group.
“Of course, challenges arise when you want to scale or try something different, but with the right technology and team in place, there’s no problem that cannot be solved.”
